It's the Journey that Counts
by RR-Roza-Robertson
Summary: Sometimes the most unlikely of people can become friends...maybe even more.


**I haven't written anything in a really long time as I've had no inspiration, so I'm sorry if this isn't that well done, but it was a spur of the moment thing at four in the morning, so yeah (^.^")**

**Disclaimer: Ghost Hunt does not belong to me because if it did there would be a lot more romance in it ;-P**

**I hope you enjoy and if you do, review please! Have a good day!**

I sat in my tiny living room, staring at the window in worry and fear as I saw the lightning strike outside. I could usually at least handle myself during thunder storms but lately I had struggled to stop from running to my neighbours and waking them up. My fear of them started when I was still at the orphanage and has never seemed to go away.

I tightened the blanket around my shoulders, actually paralysing in fear as my light flickered above.

"No, oh please, no," but my pleas were unheard as the light suddenly went black with an unwanted noise. Everything was quiet, too quiet, and dark, so dark I couldn't see in front of my face. I was too scared to even draw in a full breath. When I did my hand shot out to my phone, immediately dialling a number that I knew well but never called.

"Hello?" I felt bad since I hadn't even known what time it was, and his voice was slurred and laced with sleep.

"H-hi, it's Mai…I feel stupid but there's a thunder storm and a black out and I-I'm kind of scared and I don't know what to do and—" he'd cut off my rambling, thankfully.

"I'll be there in ten minutes" I couldn't even feel relief yet because the phone cut off and the house illuminated with light momentarily which would have been nice had it not been from another lightning strike. A moment later a loud boom had echoed through my house and I jumped in fright.

I didn't dare move from my spot on the couch, the blanket wrapped tightly around me as I shook in fear.

The only time I did move was when there had been a knock on my door; I shot up from my position and ran to it, cursing when I stubbed my toe as I did so.

I threw the door opened and saw him standing there, looking mightily confused as to why I'd called him and then sadly when he'd seen my shaking form.

"Thank you, I know you didn't have to come and I'm really sorry about waking you up" I went to ramble but he smiled slightly, his lips merely tilting at the sides but it had been something I'd never really seen other than on our last case when he'd laughed at me.

"It's quite alright, let's just get back inside before we catch a cold" I nodded and I'd walked over to the couch, taking my time. When we sat down it had again been too dark to see but he pulled something out of his coat pocket, a moment later there was light coming from a candle.

"Thank you, really, thank you, Lin-san, you really didn't have to come, especially after I yelled at you" I'd blushed lightly and he nodded.

"May I ask why you called me? Why not Monk-san or Ayako-san?" I'd bit my lip, my cheeks reddening.

"I feel safe with you…and that sounds so stupid but Monk would tease me, Ayako would mother me, Brown-san is kind of awkward, Naru would insult me and Masako hates me" I'd shrugged and he nodded.

"Understandable, but let's say we keep this between us, okay? Naru will not be happy if he finds out" I had nodded my head, smiling at him. I'd already felt better with him near me.

"I'm sorry for pulling you out of bed" I had apologised, getting a look and realising he still wore his pyjamas; grey sweats and a tank, his coat was thrown over the top and he seemed to have chucked shoes on. Even his black hair looked slept on. I hadn't been used to seeing him like this, but I kind of liked it.

"It's no problem, Taniyama-san" I had nodded.

"Call me Mai, Taniyama-san is too formal, we've known each other for long enough"

"Then call me Koujo" I had grinned, happy to have made progress with him.

"Will do, Koujo" we'd sat in silence for a while until another lightning went off and I jumped, picking the blanket up off of where it had been kicked to the floor and wrapping it around me again.

"Have you always been afraid of thunder? You've never acted like it at cases" chewing on my bottom lip, I'd nodded.

"I've always been scared but around other people I can act strong, I can't when I'm on my own" and then another thunder went off, louder and closer to my apartment. That time I not only jumped, but jumped towards Koujo, so that my side was pressed against his arm. To make matters worse I'd unknowingly turned my head to hide it in his arm.

"I-I'm sorry" I had whispered as I looked up at him, realising what I was doing. His dark eyes had stared at me for a moment before moving his arm, wrapping it around my shoulder and moving the blanket so that it was placed over the both of us.

"It's okay, Mai" and he smiled encouragingly down at me, and I'd never seen him smile at me just because I'm me. I mean, when he was laughing at me it was different, he was laughing at me, this was just a smile because he wanted to.

"Koujo?"

"Yes, Mai?" I had bit my lip again.

"Do you really hate me? You know, as a Japanese girl?" he looked shocked for a moment, the candle light showing the features in his face.

"No, Mai, I don't hate you. My family lineage is important to me, and I should, but I can't" I couldn't help than to smile brightly at him before nodding.

"Do you hate me for laughing at you?" he asked after a moment and I shook my head.

"No, I mean I should at least be pissed off at you, but I'm not," I shrugged one shoulder "but I am sorry for getting so mad at you. I was just upset" he nodded, his arm around my shoulder tightening slightly.

"I'm sorry for making you upset" and I'd grinned.

"It's all in the past now"

After that night, whenever there was a storm Koujo would always be there for me. It was an extremely unlikely friendship, but it worked. He was like my protector; he was always there to help me, even if he never showed it in front of the others.

It turns out that he was right anyway; Naru was always in a mood the days after Koujo disappeared. It was like he was upset that Koujo cared for someone other than himself, and while that annoyed me I kind of understood. After all, it was Koujo's job to look after Naru and he was leaving him at night.

It was when we were on a case that the secret really got out about our friendship. I had gotten injured again but this time was placed in the hospital. It was stupid really, it was a small job but the ghost had managed to push me down the stairs when I was caught unaware during a vision.

Naru was out of the room, getting me coffee and Koujo was keeping me watch, under strict orders from Naru. Koujo came to sit on the chair beside me, staring out at the window where a storm was brewing.

"At least you don't have to stay at my house tonight, you're already here" I joked and he chuckled, nodding his head in agreement.

"What the hell is that meant to mean?" Ayako walked in and my eyes widened, but Koujo's face quickly went devoid of emotion. We had both been surprised.

"Ayako…what are you doing here?" I asked, trying to sit up in bed but wincing. Koujo immediately placed a hand on my shoulder, staring at me firmly until I admitted defeat and just lay down.

"Naru called me and told me that you were hurt, I came down to make sure that you were okay. Don't change the subject, why is he staying at your house at night?" her face was getting red, a hand on her hip.

"What's all the ruckus?" Bou-san walked through the door with Brown-san in tow and I groaned, knowing that shit was about to go down.

"It turns out that our dear Mai has been getting nightly visits from Lin-san lately" I rolled my eyes as they all gaped at us.

"It's not what you think!" I whined before Naru walked in, looking at us all in confusion before smartly putting the coffee and sandwich down on the bedside table.

"What's going on?" he asked roughly.

"Lin-san has been going to Mai's house during the night" Ayako informed him, the others almost too shocked to stop from simply staring at us.

"You _what_?" Naru asked, his voice rising and I winced "that's where you have been going lately? To _Mai's_?" Koujo could see that mixed with the brewing storm, the accident and this argument I was feeling ill, so he held my hand, glancing at me to make sure I was okay. I smiled and nodded at him.

"Get your hand off of her" Monk growled and I glared at him.

"Nothing is going on between us! I'm terrified of thunder storms and Koujo comes over and sits with me, that's all!" they looked shocked but also like they didn't believe me.

"Then why didn't you call one of us?" Ayako asked and I rolled my eyes.

"Why? So that Monk can tease me, you can mother me, Naru can insult me and Brown-san can continuously tell me that everything is okay? I didn't need that, I just needed someone to sit with me and Koujo does that!" they all paused, staring at me shocked and I could see that Koujo was pissed.

"Everyone just get out" his voice was deep and slightly scary.

"Wha—" Monk began but Koujo cut him off.

"Just get out, Mai is here to get better and right now none of you are helping her so leave" they didn't really have a choice in the matter.

"I'll be in the hallway, I want to speak with you" Naru snapped as the other glared at him as they left. I was thankful though, the stress was weighing on me too much. I hated arguing with them but I am 17, it may still be young but I've been an adult for a long time now.

"I'll be back, call me if you need anything" Koujo said to me and I nodded, smiling at him.

"Thank you" he simply smiled and closed the room door behind him and I lay back, closing my eyes. I was glad I had him, he was quickly becoming my closest friend in the group, and that's something I never thought would happen.

After that everything was great. Now that the secret was out we didn't have to sneak behind everybody's back to be friends. While the others didn't like it they knew that there was nothing that they could do about it.

Koujo would drive me to work the nights that he stayed at my house instead of having to drive back to his and skirt around Naru. There was no need for that anymore, we could even hold up a conversation in front of the others and while he still didn't really smile or laugh in front of the others I didn't mind. When we were alone he did and it was nice because it was kind of like our own secret.

At one time he picked me up from school and my friends almost had a meltdown but I didn't care. It was a first for me and I found I loved it. The fact that I _didn't care_.

It was the moment that Ayako pulled me aside one afternoon that everything began to go downhill.

She pulled me into the kitchen so that no one could hear us and she was staring at me firmly, kind of like a mother would with a mix of annoyance and worry.

"Just be careful," she warned and I looked at her as if she was insane "you like him, I don't think you realise it yet but you like him and I don't want you to get hurt. I don't know if he likes you either and I can tell there is more going on behind closed doors, but just be careful, do you understand?" I couldn't even nod I was so shocked.

Like him? Like _that_? There was no way, no, he was just my friend. But could I maybe, just a little, like him like that? I know that I've come to depend on him, not in a bad way, but in the way that someone may depend on a…crush maybe?

With those thoughts in my head for the rest of the day my relationship with him began to snowball downhill. I found myself never meeting his eyes, not really holding a proper conversation with him and avoiding him. He wasn't the only one that noticed.

"Are you and Lin having a fight?" Monk asked one moment we were left alone. My head snapped up from my desk and I blushed at the thought of Koujo.

"What? No!" I stuttered and he looked at me in confusion.

"Did he do something then?" Monk glared at his door and I kicked his knee under the table, causing him to yelp.

"No, nothing is wrong now leave it alone!" I snapped before going back to my paper work, angrier than before.

People weren't stupid though, they could see that something was wrong between Koujo and me. Even he noticed it and at the beginning he tried to ask me what was wrong but I kept telling him that I was fine. After he gave up he began to avoid me as well. It was awkward especially on cases because people couldn't leave the atmosphere as it was work, at the office it was okay because the gang didn't have to come in.

Thankfully we were going through a heat spell where there were no storms at all, so there was no real reason to need him with me. We never spoke as much, only about work mostly, if we were forced to. I still gave him his tea when he was in his office at lunch, but much like I did with Naru I placed it on the table and left. None of it was truly bad, for the others anyway.

It hurt me though; I had pushed away my best friend, that one unlikely guy that I had fallen for. I'd admitted it, on a night I shouldn't have, that I'd finally fallen for him and that it wasn't just a crush.

It was a really wrong time actually. It was one of those few weekends that we didn't have a case and Naru had let me off, saying that he couldn't stand the atmosphere at the office. It was also one of those few weekends I decided to spend with my friends, only they had invited me to a party. Yes, this included alcohol and older guys, loud music and grinding bodies. It definitely wasn't my type of thing, but for once I wanted to be a teenager.

I wanted to forget and be somebody else. I had only ever had alcohol a couple of other times so I wasn't a stranger to it, but I had never gotten drunk before. I wasn't even sure when it happened. People just kept giving me drinks and I was just chugging them back. At one point I was involved in a drinking game but I couldn't remember it, it was blurry but it involved a funnel and people yelling at me to 'drink, drink, and drink'. And then there was yelling and people hitting my back, so I guess whatever it was I won it.

I suppose I was completely blind rotten drunk because the rest of the night I don't remember, however I do remember waking up with a pounding head and a sluggish body.

Someone handed me a bucket as I began to heave "throw up in this" they ordered and I took their advice. Despite the fact that they were stroking my hair and my back I knew that they weren't happy. Not at all.

"What were you thinking?" they growled in a low tone, thankfully taking aware of my headache as they passed me a glass of water and pain killers.

I groaned as I took them, the light was hurting, my head hurt, my body was sluggish and throwing up did not help me at all. I felt like I should regret that night but I didn't.

"Why would you drink so much? Do you know how pissed Ayako is going to be when she finds out about this?" Monk snapped and I winced.

"How—" I was cut off midway as I began to vomit into the bucket again, groaning.

"How did I get here? Or how did you get home?" I struggled to sit up, drinking more of the water.

"Both" I whispered and he shook his head in anger at me.

"Your friend called me last night off of your phone, told me that you were at a party and completely drunk, said that she would have called the other guy but you didn't think that she could because she thought you two were fighting. Imagine my surprise when I show up at the party and have to pull you off of some guy that you were sucking face with!" his voice got loud and I groaned, covering my ears with my hands.

He glared at me for a moment "go have a shower, I'll make you my hangover drink" he snapped and I nodded, stumbling to my bathroom. When I looked in the mirror I realised how disgusting I looked. I had worn short shorts to the party and a top my friend had leant me, which was a tank top that had see-through material under the bust. My brown hair was completely messy and I was thankful I hadn't worn too much make-up that night, I'm sure I would've looked shit.

I had a shower, happy to scrub my body clean multiple times and let the hot water soothe the ache in my muscles and head. I pulled on some yoga pants and a tank top when I got out, pulling my hair into a bun, thankful that I looked a lot better than before.

When I exited my bathroom after a few minutes of pep-talk I found Monk sitting at my table with a green looking drink in front of an empty chair. He looked up at me and I could he was still not happy.

"Drink it" he snapped, nodding towards the drink.

"It looks funky" I crinkled my nose and he glared at me. Sighing, I pinched my nose and tilted my head back, drinking as much of it as I could in one breath.

"Yuck" I spat when I finished it though I felt surprisingly better. Now that I had something in my stomach my head didn't hurt as much and I felt okay.

"That's what you get. Why the hell would you drink? Not only are you underage you could've been hurt!" he snapped and I rolled my eyes.

"But I wasn't so everything is fine" he shook his head like he couldn't believe what I was saying.

"Everything is so obviously not fine! You don't drink, Mai, you don't break laws, you don't party or fuck guys in the corner of a room, so why would you start!" I glared at him. He made me sound like a whore.

"I didn't fuck anyone; I think I'd remember that!" I yelled in anger before wincing, okay, so my head wasn't entirely better.

"No but you were about a minute away from it!"

"I did it because I want to, okay? Newsflash, Monk, I'm 17, I'm not sweet and innocent anymore, no matter how bad you want me to be!" I snapped and he shook his head.

"That's why you did it then? To show us up? Well, congratulations, you did it. If the video that was sent to everyone on your contact list was anything to go by you've shown them all" I stopped completely.

"Video?" I asked cautiously and he chuckled darkly.

"Didn't see it? Here, take a look!" and he chucked his phone at me and I hesitantly looked at the screen as I pressed play.

On it was me surrounded by a group of people, mostly guys. I sat on a chair and I was glad that I wore shorts now since my legs were spread wide; my hands were held behind my back by one guy while another held a funnel to my mouth. About two bottles of beer was being poured down the funnel, beside me was another chick that was doing the same thing.

The crowd was screaming at us to drink. I could see that I was struggling slightly, most of it was running down my throat, but I was doing better than the other girl who was kicking her legs, probably needing air. She gave up quickly, throwing her head forward and vomiting beside her chair, thankfully not near me. The yells got louder until finally I had drunken all of the beer, the crowd went wild and I was laughing, breathing heavily. That was about when the video cut off.

"Is that really what you liked to see?" I was kind of embarrassed, but I still didn't regret it.

"At least I won" I snapped, slamming his phone back onto the table and standing, going to make myself some coffee.

"It's because of Lin, isn't it?" and I paused mid-step.

"Excuse me?" I snapped as I spun around.

"It is isn't it? I knew something was going on!"

"Don't sit there and act as if you know everything because you don't, okay? You know nothing! Just get out!" I yelled at him, reaching my peak.

"What?" he looked shocked.

"You won't come into my home and treat me like shit, just get out!" he shook his head, picked up his phone and did as I said.

When he left I sat back down at the table and leant my head on the cold wood and began to cry.

Everything was wrong after that. Practically nobody at the office was talking to me, and I'm sure that the only reason Naru kept me around was because he was afraid I'd go party again. Needless to say that work was awful. Especially with Koujo, every time he looked at me it was in disapproval, as if he had no idea who I was anymore. I didn't think that I was that bad. Hadn't they ever done something wild like that when they were a teenager?

Maybe not Naru, and maybe not Koujo or Brown-san…more than likely Monk and Ayako, but then Ayako was always travelling and getting what she wanted and Monk was training up in the mountains. Maybe, just maybe they had no idea what I was going through. That was more than likely.

It was even harder for me, now having no one. In the course of one night I turned everyone against me. Even my friends, who thought that what I did was awesome, weren't treating me the same way. They always wanted me to party when most of the times I just wanted to be that girl who sat in the classroom after dark and told ghost stories.

I still didn't regret that night but I regret the consequences it had.

After around three weeks of the awkwardness my mood was at an all-time low. Everyone had noticed that I'd changed. There were storms almost every night lately and I had no one there to help me, my friends were being idiots and I had no one to speak to.

"Mai…are you alright?" to my shock it was Masako who asked. I glanced up from kettle I had been staring at sleepily.

"Uh," I coughed to clear my throat "I'm fine, Masako, thanks" she looked at me worriedly, seeing the bags under my eyes, my pale face and even skinner body.

"You don't look fine, I know we hate each other but if you need something, I'm here, you can just ask. Unlike the others I know what you hoped to accomplish at that party," she glanced back at the door that Naru was hidden within "sometimes it is easier to forget, isn't it?" I looked at her in shock, not realising she was probably going through the same thing as me. Maybe not the same situation, but the same guy troubles.

"Yeah, yeah it is" unfortunately forgetting never lasts.

"How about I take those teas into Naru and Lin-san's office and you go home and sleep before the next storm?" I looked at her in shock.

"No, you don't have to" I protested but she shook her head.

"Go, I'll deal with them, okay?" I smiled at her, hugging her slightly before plating up the teas and after pointing out whose was whose I grabbed my bag and coat and exited, not taking to anybody sitting in the living room. I may have made up with Masako, but I still didn't want to talk to the others.

Although, being home alone probably wasn't the best thing. My mind weighed heavily on the 'what if's' of life. Most of them too depressing to even be thinking about.

In the end I was brought to tears, as usual, as I lay on the couch, futilely hoping for sleep. It did come, thankfully, but was full of nightmares and tossing and turning.

I was awoken by a loud boom, abnormally close to my house and I yelped in shock. My body seized in fear before I realised that it was a storm, though the revelation did not help in the least. It only got worse when the lights went out, but I sat on my couch, eyes closed and blanket wrapped around me, my body shaking in fear.

I couldn't help but let out a scared, loud, yelp as there was a bang on the door. It took me a moment to realise that somebody was knocking.

"Um, just a minute!" I yelled back as I stood, trying to find my way through my dark house without bumping into things. I hesitantly pulled the door open before my heart jumped into my throat. Standing in my door way was a very wet Koujo. And not in a dirty way, I mean in the way that meant he must've been standing on my doorstep for a while to be as drenched as he is.

He still wore his work clothes, which confused me since it was so late, but his white shirt was untucked, clinging to his body in ways that shouldn't be allowed and he ran a hand through his black hair which then fell down to partly cover his eye again.

"W-w-what are you doing here?" I stuttered in shock and he shrugged before pushing his way inside. I didn't object; just shut the door behind him.

"It's storming" I raised an eyebrow at him. Not only had he not cared for over a month it was so obvious that that wasn't the only reason.

"I didn't call you" I said probably harsher than I had to.

"I know" he stared down at me and I felt my cheeks darken but was glad that he probably couldn't see it.

He turned and walked into the living room and I followed him. I'd pulled the curtains open so there was enough moonlight to go by to see into the room now, but there still wasn't enough to pick up great detail.

"Why have you been avoiding me?" he spun around, asking the question quickly. My mouth popped open and I sputtered like a fish.

"I, uh, well, you see, uh" he rolled his eyes. Running his hand through his hair again.

"I didn't think you'd tell me" his voice was gruff and I felt kind of angry.

"Hey, don't speak to me like that; you've been avoiding me as well!" I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest and he glanced down at me.

"Maybe because you avoided me and then acted like a fool and got drunk. After that I didn't really want to speak to you" he snapped and it hurt.

"Well then why the hell are you here now then?" I snapped back and saw him go for a loss of words as well.

"I don't know" he whispered instead and we both stared at each other before I noticed he was shivering. I felt my body go limp.

"I'll get you a towel" I whispered. I came back with two, placing one on top of his head before I looked at his shirt.

"You're probably going to be better if you take them off" and I blushed because this was more than embarrassing.

"What?" he asked shocked as well.

"You're going to get sick if you wear wet clothes, take them off, I think I have some sweats you left here" I wasn't sure why but I felt brave now that he was here, like a storm meant nothing to me.

I came back with grey sweats and passed them to him.

"Dry yourself down and put them on in the bathroom" I ordered and he simply did as I said. I stood, staring out the window as I waited for him to come back.

"You aren't scared of the storm" he pointed out my lack of shivering or jumping at the thunder.

"That's because you're here" I glanced back, my mouth going dry as I stared at him. I had never seen him without a top on before and…I had no words. He was cut, like I expected him to be, but it was more than that. His skin was lightly tanned, he had lean abs and his muscles rippled every time he moved. The grey sweats hung low on his hips and his fringe stuck to his face.

"Come here" I said to him and he did so and I threw the blanket around his shoulder before rubbing his hair with a towel.

"I'm sorry" I whispered as he stood in front of me, only a few inches away.

"Why'd you do it? Drink, I mean" he asked and I looked at the ground, shaking my head, my hands fell from the towel on his head.

"You wouldn't understand" he placed a hand on my shoulder and I felt my eyes well with tears.

"Try me" I glanced up at him, my heart beat fast and my blood rushed through my ears.

"Because of you…because it's easier to forget, to pretend once in a while, it's easier to pretend that I'm not some freak that can see things that most can't. I just wanted to be a teenager, Koujo. I just wanted to do something wrong, to make a mistake, to go party and be like other girls my age. I didn't want to be grown up for once" I knew that he was trying to understand and that it would be hard for him.

"Why because of me? What did I do?" I gave him a wry smirk, feeling a tear fall from my eyes, knowing what his response will be and not wanting to listen to it.

"I like you, Koujo…I like you a lot and I know that you don't like me back" I whispered, now staring at the ground and away from him. He stiffened and another tear fell. He would pull away now, he'd pull away and I would have ruined everything once again.

"All of this was because of me? Because you thought I wouldn't like you back?" I bit my lip.

"I didn't mean for it to sound like that…no, it's not because of you, it's not your fault in any way. It's my fault for falling for someone who would never like me back" I didn't want him to blame himself for my idiocy.

"Why…why would you think that I wouldn't like you back?" I looked up at him confused.

"Have a look at you and then have a look at me. I'm 17, you're 24, you're smart and I make mistakes, you're strong and I'm scared of storms…you're there for everybody and I'm pathetic, why would I think that you'd like me back?" I knew that what I said annoyed him again "and I always seem to say something that pisses you off" I sighed.

"The only reason I'm pissed off, as you so eloquently put, is because you are none of those things. You make mistakes which make you smart, I love that you're scared of storms yet run to protect people without hesitation, and something the thing that I like about you is that you can annoy me so easily" his hand moved from my shoulder to my chin, gently pulling it up so that he could stare at me.

"Mai, I like you as well, I've like you for a long time" I was in shock but managed to pull out of it as he bent down, gently brushing his lips against mine. I gasped, not expecting that at all. He pulled back slightly, smiling down at me and I smiled back, happy for the first time in about a month. I placed both hands on his shoulders, pulling him closer and pressing my lips against his again.

The kiss began to heat up as he rested his hands on my hips, his tongue brushing against my bottom lip, asking for entrance. Our tongues battled for dominance, but there was no surprise that he won. A moan slipped from my lips and I blushed in slight embarrassment as he pulled away to stare at me. His eyes travelled my face, seeing my flushing cheeks and how my teeth were chewing on my bottom lip.

He pulled me towards the couch, so that I was straddling his hips. He stared up at me and I blushed causing him to smirk.

"Koujo…should we be doing this? I mean, it's not that I don't want to, it's just that you're seven years older and—" I was thankful he cut me off. Telling me to shut up as his hand slid in my hair and he gently pulled my head forward. I smirked slightly, nodding my head in response to his demand before allowing him to kiss me.

I groaned as my alarm began to go off.

"We have to go to work" I looked up, sitting my chin up on the chest that I was lying on top of. I shook my head.

"Can't we take a day off?" I moaned, feeling him chuckle underneath me.

"Tired, are we?" I glared at him, my cheeks staining red.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I am" he simply ran a hand through my messy hair and smirked at me.

"Well we have to go to work, as much as I would love to lay with you all day" I rolled my eyes at his dirty smirk and stood, wrapping the blanket around my body as I headed towards the shower. I turned around and smirked at him, seeing him watching me.

"Well? Are you coming for a shower or not?" he chuckled but stood up and followed me.

"Well, we can see that you two made up" I blushed as Koujo and I entered the office hand in hand.

"Hallelujah, finally" Monk winked at me and I smiled back, I felt Koujo squeeze my hand and understood. I walked over to Monk and hugged him.

"I'm sorry" he pulled me onto his lap, knocking the air out of me as he gave me a bear hug.

"Is that—Mai, is that a hickey?" Monk's voice was a mix between anger, shock and panic. I blushed even deeper as I stood up quickly, straightening my clothes.

"No, you're seeing things" and then I walked over to my desk, sitting down and crossing my legs as I began to do paperwork. I saw Koujo slink into his office, winking at me with a smirk before hiding. I glared at the closed door, knowing that he did that to leave me alone to deal with them.

"I don't think so" Monk growled while Masako walked over, pulling my hair out of the way.

"Oh my, it is!" she gasped, giggling at Naru came out of his room, raising an eyebrow at the situation. Masako was giggling; kimono sleeve in front of her face, Brown-san was red in the face while Ayako and Monk looked a mix between angry and panicked.

"What's going on?" Naru asked.

"It seems like Mai-san and Lin-san, uh, made up last night" Brown-san blushed deeper and Naru still looked confused.

"And the evidence is all over her neck" Masako began to laugh harder, no longer just giggling. I blushed deeply.

"You know what? I'm doing my work away from all of you today" I huffed, standing up and taking my paperwork into Koujo's office.

"We don't want to hear anything we aren't meant to from in there!" Naru yelled back and I blushed deeply, not believing that he actually got in on it.

"Seeking refuge?" he chuckled and I glared at him.

"I hate you" I said and he grinned, coming to stand in front of the door I was leaning against, placing a hand on either side of my head and trapping me.

"I severely doubt that" he smirked, pressing his lips against mine again.

I wasn't sure if we'd work out, after all I was only 17, but I know that I want it to. For once I'd been happy, truly happy. Despite the fact that maybe Ayako and Bou-san doesn't like me with him, that's how it is. We were all a family again, and I hope that it will stay like that.


End file.
